Farmers worried over silt, garbage clogging canals

Farmers worried over silt, garbage clogging canals
Archit Watts
Tribune News Service

Jammu, April 1
Farmers in the Jammu region are a worried lot as the irrigation canals into which the Irrigation Department will release water on April 14 are blocked with silt and garbage.

De-silting of the choked canals has not yet started, thus depriving farmers of water to irrigate their fields. Due to the clogged canals, canal water fails to reach tail-end areas of the region.

Dharam Chand, a farmer of Domana village, said, “After the wheat crop is harvested by April 13-15, water will be required for irrigating fields for the next crop. However, the present condition of the canals and tributaries is not good. Silt and garbage have clogged the network of canals at several places”.

He added, “Breaches have appeared in the banks of the canals and their tributaries at some places. The Irrigation Department has not repaired these breaches yet”.

Tejinder Singh, another farmer of the Hiranagar subdivision in Kathua district, said, “Almost every year the Irrigation Department carries out de-silting of the canals just to get crores of rupees from the state’s exchequer. The condition of these canals exposes the tall claims of the department, which has been claiming that it will provide adequate water to the farmers for irrigation this season,” Tejinder added.

A number of farmers alleged that the de-silting of the Ranbir canal, which is the main source of irrigation in the area, was an eyewash last year, as no serious efforts were made to remove silt.

“The labourers engaged for the purpose last year removed the silt and placed it on the banks of the canals. After the silt dried, it again fell into the canals,” said Duni Chand, a farmer.

However, officials of the Irrigation Department blame people for the condition of the canals saying, “The canals were de-silted last year, but people have thrown garbage into them”.

Irrigation Minister Taj Mohi-ud-Din, while talking to The Tribune over the phone, said, “Last year, an extensive de-silting drive was launched and silt and garbage were removed from most of the canals. There was no need to clean the canals this year”. He added, “The de-silting is done once in three years”.